[Craft Beer] Vancouver Craft Beer Week Wrap Up Part 3

Now that you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 of my beer list. I would like to hand out the following awards:

Totally Arbitrary Awards

Most Refreshing Beer on a Hot Day – This one ends in a three-way tie between the Mission Springs Lemon Ginger Radler, Parallel 49 Tricycle, and Storm Orange Creamsicle.

Brewery I’m most excited about opening – Steel & Oak. The hefe didn’t disappoint. Now I’m even more interested, if that was even possible, in what these guys will have available when they open.

Best Cider – It was a pretty tight field, but I’m going to have to give this one to the Cyser by (Surprise!) Merridale Cider.

Biggest Surprise – The booth with Dieu Du Ciel samples totally blew me away. Though, it makes sense because their stuff has recently started showing up in liquor stores in the area. The distributor must be trying to promote them to the locals.

Best Potential Tie-in – Dead Frog Rocket Man ESB. Call me crazy, but I really want to sit back on my patio with a bottle of this while Rocket Man plays on the stereo.

Best Name – Berried Alive.

Best T-Shirt – B33R, at 33 Acres.

Hardest Lesson – So much beer, so little time.

Best Future – BC! So many awesome breweries, and so many exciting new ones on the horizon. The future really is bright.

Best Honourable Mention – Dageraad Brewing! They aren’t included in my sample list because I already tried their beers a few days earlier. But let me tell you, I’m excited about these guys, and if you like Belgian beers, you should be too.

Biggest Lush – Apparently I sampled 30 different beers. That sounds like a lot. I did, however, walk out under my own power and have a pretty good memory of what I drank, so it can’t be that bad.

Wrap-up

In spite of this 3-part recap, I only sampled a tiny portion of what was available. There were so many others that I meant to try, but never did. GIB’s Swing Span Amber, Green Leaf’s Brett IPA (can’t believe I missed that one), Old Yale Sasquatch Stout, the list goes on. If I learned anything from this event, it was that next time I need to go in with a plan.

All-in-all, the future is bright, and events like this do a great job showing us just how bright the future of BC craft beer is. I’m already looking forward to next year’s VCBW!